Roof flashing with elastomeric collar



April 11, 1967 KlFER 3,313,559

ROOF FLASHING WITH ELASTOMERIC COLLAR Filed March 18, 1964 INVENTOR. 4900M G: BY

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United States Patent 3 313 559 RGGF FLASHING Will-I ELASTONLERIC COLLAR David E. Kifer, Parrna, Ohio, assignor to The L. R. Qatey Company, Cleveland, ()hio, a corporation of Ohio Fiied Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,784 4 Ciairns. (Cl. 285-43) The present invention relates generally, as indicated, to a roof flashing with an elastomeric collar and, more particularly, to a roof flashing the collar of which is adapted to form an effective weather-proof seal between such flashing and an upstanding pipe and the like protrudin through the sloping roof of a building.

In many buildings and particularly homes there are generally provided one or more upstanding pipes extending through the roof thereof which either are used as a conduit for receiving electric wires into the buildings or which act as a vent stack for the plumbing system or certain rooms of the building, such as the kitchen and bathroom, for example. It is, of course, desirable to seal the opening through which the vertically extending pipe member extends so that rain, ice, and snow are preeluded from entering the building therethrough. Moreover, it is often desirable further to brace the pipe member, especially where the pipe protrudes through the roof some distance above the latter, so that the pipe will not excessively sway in high winds. Improved roof flashings for effecting both a seal and increased rigidity to the pipe are disclosed in applicants prior patent No. 2,904,354, dated September 15, 1959, and in applicants copending application Ser. No. 854,374, filed Nov. 20, 1959, and now Patent No, 3,125,357.

However, where the pipe is already sufliciently braced to preclude undesirable swaying, such increased support provided by these improved roof flashing constructions is, of course, not necessary. Moreover, it has been found that the sealing collars disclosed therein, while quite adequate for most purposes, do not form as effective a weatherproof seal as is sometimes desired, especially when there is a substantial amount of rain fall.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a roof flashing with an elastomeric collar which effectively seals the opening in a roof through which an upstanding pipe extends regardless of the type of prevailing weather conditions.

It is another object to provide such a roof flashing with an elastomeric collar, the neck portion of which has a plurality of sealing points for sealingly engaging a pipe extending therethrough.

It is still another object to provide a roof flashing with an elastomeric collar having at least one annular rib in the neck portion thereof which forms a fluid-tight seal with a pipe extending through such neck portion and reinforces such elastomeric collar against tearing or rupturing when stretched about the pipe.

A further object is to provide a sealing edge on the neck portion of such elastomeric collar which sealingly engages a pipe extending through the neck portion.

Yet another object is to provide an elastomeric collar with a lower feathered edge for contacting and sealingly engaging a portion of the roof flashing to which such collar is secured.

A further object is to provide a roof flashing with an elastomeric collar of the nature outlined above which is capable of effectively sealing the roof openings through which pipes extend on a wide variety of roof inclinations.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features herein- Patented Apr. 11, 1967 after fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various Ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of the preferred form of roof flashing and elastomeric collar assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of such roof flashing and elastomeric collar assembly taken on the plane of the line 22 of FIG. 1, such assembly being shown mounted on a roof but without the upstanding pipe extending through the neck portion of the collar;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the prefered form of roof flashing and elastomeric collar assembly illustrating the configuration of the collar sealing portions in their relaxed condition prior to forcing the collar over the end of the pipe;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of such roof flashing with elastomeric collar in the assembled condition on a roof, such elastomeric collar being partially broken away to show the sealing engagement between the pipe and the sealing points of the collar;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modified form of elastomeric collar secured to the roof flashing; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevational view similar to that of FIG. 4, but showing such modified form of elastomeric collar in sealing engagement with the pipe.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated the preferred form of elastomeric collar 1 secured to a suitable metal flashing 2. The collar 1, although it may be made of rubber or any of a variety of commercially available elastomers, is preferably molded from neoprene in the shape of a thin walled truncated cone 3 to facilitate the running off of water, snow, and ice therefrom. The truncated cone 3 is provided with a central circular aperture 4 through the apex thereof, the diameter of which is substantially smaller than the diameter of a vertically upstanding member such as a pipe 5 adapted to be sealingly engaged by such collar in a manner which will be fully explained hereafter. Since the size of the pipe 5, such as a vent pipe and the like, may vary somewhat, it should of course be understood that the size of the truncated cone 3 and aperture 4 may also be varied accordingly.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, the apex end 6 of the truncated cone 3 adjacent the aperture 4 is substantially flat in the plane of the aperture 4 so as to define with the inner wall 7 of the truncated cone 3 a sealing edge 8. Projecting inwardly from the inner wall '7 of the truncated cone 3 adjacent the apex end 6 is an annular sealing rib 10, preferably having a triangular cross section the inwardly extending walls 11 and 12 of which intersect to define a right angle therebetween.

Not only is the diameter of the aperture 4 of the truncated cone 3 less than the diameter of the pipe 5, but the inside diameter of the truncated cone 3 adjacent the lower wall 12 of the annular rib It is slightly less than the diameter of such pipe. Accordingly, when the collar 1 is forced over the free end of the pipe 5, the apex end 6 of the truncated cone 3 from slightly below the rib 10 is stretched and distended upwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 4 in order to fit over such pipe, In this manner an extremely tight fluid seal is formed between the pipe 5 and collar 1, there being at least two high pressure sealing points established by the sealing edge 8 and annular rib 1i Such rib 10 also performs another im- J portant function; namely, to reinforce the frusto-conical shape collar 1 against tearing or rupturing when stretched about the pipe 5. While only one annular rib is shown on the inner wall 7 of the truncated cone 3, it should be understood that more than one such rib may be provided if greater sealing is desired.

As is evident in FIG. 4, when the collar 1 is distended, the apex end 6 thereof forms a conical surface which slopes downwardly away from the pipe 5 further to aid in the running off of water, ice, and snow from the collar.

Secured to the base of the frusto-conical shape collar 1 is the roof flashing 2, as aforesaid, which consists of a flat rectangular metal base plate 16 having an upstanding central dome portion 17 with an enlarged central opening 18 extending through the apex thereof. The connection between the collar 1 and flashing 2 is preferably established by crimping a metal annular groove 19 adjacent the apex end of the flashing dome 17 into gripping engagement with an annular bead 20 projecting inwardly from the inner wall 7 of the collar 1 adjacent the base thereof. Such collar 1 has a skirt portion 21 extending along the outer surface of the flashing dome 17 and firmly gripping the same to form a tight seal therewith. The lower edge 22 of the skirt portion 21 is feathered to cause the same more firmly to grip the flashing dome 17 and thus increase the effectiveness of the seal.

Although it is desirable that the flashing 2 be provided with the metal dome 17 to continue the slope of the collar 1 so that the skirt portion 20 of such collar extends beyond the collar-flashing connection and provides a protective covering therefor, it should be understood that the dome 17 could be eliminated and the collar 1 attached directly to the wall of an aperture in the plate 16 of the flashing 2 if it were so desired.

The roof flashing and elastomeric collar assembly, after having been forced over the outer end of the upstanding member 5, is secured to the roof R as by means of suitable fasteners 23.

While the roof R is illustrated as having only a slight inclination, it should readily be apparent that the roof flashing and elastomeric collar assembly may also effectively be used to provide a seal for roofs of almost any pitch or slope, since the elastomeric collar 1 is resiliently deformable and the central opening 18 in the flashing dome 17 is sufficiently large not to .be engaged by the pipe 5 except where the slope of the roof is extremely steep, and even then, the position of the central opening 18 could be changed so that there would be no such pipe and flashing engagement.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a modified form of elastomeric collar 1' secured to the roof flashing 2. Since the elastomeric collar 1 is quite similar to the elastomeric collar 1 above described, the same or similar parts are identified by the same reference numerals followed by a prime symbol The only distinction between the two forms of elastomeric collars 1 and 1 is the construction of the neck portions. As clearly shown in FIG. 5, the apex end 6 of the truncated cone 3, rather than being substantially flat in the plane of the aperture 4, is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aperture 4 so as to form a sealing edge 8 with the inner wall 7 of the truncated cone, Thus, when the collar 1 is forced over the free end of the pipe 5, the apex end 6' from slightly below the rib 10' is stretched and distended upwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 6. Again, there are established two high pressure sealing points by the sealing edge 8' and annular rib 10. However, the apex end 6 of the collar 1', rather than forming a conical surface which slopes downwardly away from the pipe 5, forms a conical surface 15 sloping toward the pipe 5.

From the foregoing, it can now be seen that the roof flashing and elastomeric collar assemblies of the present invention effectively seal the opening in a roof through which an upstanding pipe extends regardless of the type of prevailing weather conditions, and regardless of the angular slope of the roof. The seal is effected by engagement between the pipe and at least two sealing portions on the elastomeric collar, one being a sealing edge adjacent the apex end of the collar and the other being an annular rib slightly spaced from such apex end.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I claim:

1. In combination, a roof flashing and elastomeric collar for establishing a weather-proof seal between a roof and an upstanding pipe passing through an opening in such roof, said roof flashing comprising a flat metal plate which is adapted to be secured to such roof, a dome shape portion projecting outwardly from said flat metal plate, said dome shape portion being provided with an. annular Opening the diameter of which is substantially greater than the diameter of such pipe, and means securing said elastomeric collar to said roof flashing adjacent the periphery of said annular opening; said elastomeric collar comprising a thin walled truncated cone of resiliently deformable material, said truncated cone being provided with a central circular aperture in the apex end thereof, said apex end defining a neck portion in which there are provided a plurality of sealing edges, one of said sealing edges being formed by the intersection of said apex end with the inner surface of said truncated cone wall, another of said sealing edges being formed by an annular rib projecting inwardly from said inner surface at a slight distance from said apex end, the diameter of said circular aperture in said truncated cone being substantially less than the diameter of such pipe and the inside diameter of said truncated cone directly below said annular rib being slightly less than the diameter of such pipe, whereby the forcing of said elastomeric collar over such pipe causes substantial stretching of said neck portion to effect high pressure seals between such pipe and said sealing edges, the apex end of said truncated cone being substantially flat in the plane of said cone aperture in defining with the inner wall of said cone said sealing edge, whereby when said elastomeric collar is stretched as aforesaid, said apex end forms a conical surface which slopes downwardly away from such pipe.

2. A roof flashing with an elastomeric collar for effectively sealing an opening in a roof through which an upstanding pipe or the like extends, said elastomeric collar comprising a thin walled frusto-conical shape member having a central aperture extending through the apex end thereof, said apex end being substantially flat in the plane of said central aperture and intersecting the inner wall of said frusto-conical shape member at an acute angle to define therewith a first sealing edge, and at least one annular rib projecting inwardly from said inner wall adjacent said apex end defining a second sealing edge, the inside diameter of said frusto-conical shape member immediately below said annular rib being slightly less than the diameter of such pipe, whereby the forcing of said elastomeric collar over the free end of said pipe causes said frusto-conical shape member from slightly below said annular rib to be stretched and distended upwardly to form an extremely tight fluid seal with such pipe at said sealing edges, and causes said apex end to form a conical surface which slopes downwardly away from such pipe.

3. The roof flashing with elastomeric collar of claim 2 wherein said annular sealing rib has a triangular crosssection with inwardly extending walls which intersect to define a right angle therebetween.

4. A- roof flashing with an elastomeric collar for effectively sealing an opening in a roof through which an upstanding pipe or the like extends, said elastomeric collar comprising a thin walled frusto-conical shape member having a central aperture extending through the apex end thereof, said apex end being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said central aperture and intersecting the inner wall of said frusto-conical shape member to define therewith a first sealing edge, and at least one annular rib projecting inwardly from said inner wall adjacent said apex end defining a second sealing edge, the inside diameter of said frusto-conical shape member immediately below said annular rib being slightly less than the diameter of such pipe, whereby the forcing of said elastorneric collar over the free end of such pipe causes said frusto conical shape member from slightly below said annular rib to be stretched and distended upwardly to form an extremely tight seal with such pipe at said sealing edges and said apex end to form a conical surface which slopes downwardly toward such pipe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,904,354 9/1959 Kifer 285-43 2,985,465 5/1961 Church 285-43 X 3,098,663 7/1963 Dibley 28543 3,125,357 3/1964 Kifer 285-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 640,736 5/1962 Canada.

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS P. CALLAGHAN, EDWARD C. ALLEN,

Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A ROOF FLASHING AND ELASTOMERIC COLLAR FOR ESTABLISHING A WEATHER-PROOF SEAL BETWEEN A ROOF AND AN UPSTANDING PIPE PASSING THROUGH AN OPENING IN SUCH ROOF, SAID ROOF FLASHING COMPRISING A FLAT METAL PLATE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SUCH ROOF, A DOME SHAPE PORTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FLAT METAL PLATE, SAID DOME SHAPE PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR OPENING THE DIAMETER OF WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SUCH PIPE, AND MEANS SECURING SAID ELASTOMERIC COLLAR TO SAID ROOF FLASHING ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ANNULAR OPEINING; SAID ELASTOMERIC COLLAR COMPRISING A THIN WALLED TRUNCATED CONE OF RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL, SAID TRUNCATED CONE BEING PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL CIRCULAR APERTURE IN THE APEX END THEREOF, SAID APEX END DEFINING A NECK PORTION IN WHICH THERE ARE PROVIDED A PLURALITY OF SEALING EDGES, ONE OF SAID SEALING EDGES BEING FORMED BY THE INTERSECTION OF SAID APEX END WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TRUNCATED CONE WALL, ANOTHER OF SAID SEALING EDGES BEING FORMED BY AN ANNULAR RIB PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM SAID INNER SUR- 